FFA confirm June Socceroos friendly against Greece in Melbourne

Socceroos to face Greece in Etihad Stadium friendly on June 7

Coach Ange Postecoglou delighted game will be played in his home town.

Ange Postecoglou will get another chance to manage the Socceroos in his hometown after Football Federation Australia confirmed a friendly with Greece, to be played on June 7 at Etihad Stadium.
Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Ange Postecoglou will get another chance to manage the Socceroos in his hometown after Football Federation Australia confirmed a friendly with Greece in Melbourne. The Socceroos will play at Etihad Stadium on June 7, three days after they play the former European champions at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Postecoglou said he was expecting a fine contest. “From a football perspective, Greece will give us a great test over the two matches, and obviously there is some personal significance for me,” said Greek-born Postecoglou. “I am very proud of my heritage and it will be a proud moment to coach the Socceroos against the country of my birth in front of my family and friends in Melbourne, where my parents settled to give us a wonderful life.”

The fixture is expected to sell out in no time given there are an estimated 380,000 Melburnians with Greek heritage and Etihad Stadium’s capacity is 53,000. Since his appointment in October 2013 the Socceroos have been infrequent visitors to the city.

By June, Melbourne will have played host to just one of 12 matches played on home soil during Postecoglou’s tenure. The fact had not passed the revered coach by. “I’m delighted that the game is going to be here. I’m a proud Victorian. Melbourne is my hometown and I’ve been in the job for two and a half years and I’ve only had one other game here,” he said.

Greece’s last visit to Melbourne, a match held before the Socceroos departed for the 2006 World Cup, drew 95,000 fans at the MCG. Victorian major events minister John Eren suggested availability was behind the decision to stage the game at a smaller venue in June. “These negotiations have taken place through VMEC and Football Federation Australia,” he said. “This is a great venue ... we want to make sure we have the best stadium that’s available at the time to have these events.”

Etihad Stadium is busier than the MCG in that fortnight and will sandwich the Socceroos between two AFL rounds, adding the marquee football fixture to the five scheduled AFL games in nine days.

With the next, and crucial, round of World Cup qualifying to begin in September 2016, Minister Eren couldn’t guarantee the Victorian capital would play host to one of those home matches. “We’re going to have the best events that we can possibly get and a return for our investment,” he said.

Postecoglou will be hoping the friendlies provide a good tune-up for the next phase of their World Cup qualifiers, which they are expected to make. Australia currently top their qualifying group with five wins and a loss, with only two first-phase home matches left in March – against Tajikistan in Adelaide, and Jordan in Sydney.